Bimetallic electric thermoregulator



Feb. 12 1924.

E. H. QUEBEC-BER BIMETALLIC ELECTRIC THERMOREGULATOR Filed April 21,, 192i:

(EUR/mm;

A 29 wk Patented Feb. l2, 1924.

UNITED STATES ERNEST HENRY BUEDIGEB, OF BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA.

BIKETALLIC miECTRIC THEBHOBEGULATUB.

Application filed April 21,1922. Serial no. ssaaae.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST HENRY Roamonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bismarck, in the county of Burleigh and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Bimetallic Electric Thermoregulator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of electric thermo-regulators in which bimetallic bars are employed, and has for its objects to provide a device which will be convenient and durable in use and accurate in operation, and may be readily adjusted to control varying degrees of temperature. One of the specific objects is to provide such a construction that the bimetallic bar, during operation, will not form a part of an electrical circuit; another ob ject is to provide such a mounting for the container of the bimetallic bar that the extremes of heat and cold temperatures may be 18%;113t8d.

In t e accompanyin drawing which illustrates the invention, ig. 1 is a lan view of an ad'usting-bar. Fig. 2 is a ont view of the evice. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device.

Referrin now to the drawing, I provide a casing 5 aving a back 6 provided with an aperture 7, its front consiaing of an insulating-plate 8 which is disposed between and is removably secured to the top 9 and bot tom 10. The plate 8, approximately at its middle, is'provided with an aperture a, and also is provided, adjacent to aperture a with an aperture b a i Numeral 11 indicates a cylindrical receptacle, and, by means of kee rs 12 it is removably secured to the circu ar flange 13 of the bottom of the casing. At 14 is indicated a supporting-bar preferabl disposed at right-angles to the plate 8 an .slidmgly mounted in the a ertures 7 and b, said bar being provide parallel therewith and adjacent thereto, with an adjusting-arm 15 adapted to be mounted in the aperture 0, and upon the inner end of the arm 15 and dis at right-angles thereto is secured an msulating-bar 16; and on account of the arrangement of parts thus movement of the mentioned any swinging arm 15', relative to t e at 14, will be pre- 'vented, this feature being quite important so that the insulating-bar 16 may be prachead 6 of the electrical contact-mem tically free from vibration and will be stationary, during operation, with'the casing.

Numeral 17 indicates an electrical contact-member which is preferably threaded in the lower end-portion of .the bar 16, and having a head a which provides a pivotal mounting for an electrical conducting-rod 18 having the form of a rock-lever, upon the lower end and short arm of said rod being mounted a weight w and upon the upper end and long arm of said rod being mounted a head d adapted to enga e the r 19 which, preferably, is threaded in the upper end-portion of said bar 16. Numeral 20 indicates a spring operating to, normally cause engagement of the heads d and e.

Numerals 21 and 22 indicate binding-posts mounted in the plate 8. The post 21 1s provided with an electrical conductor 23 connected with member 19, and the post 22 is provided with an electrical conductor 24 connected with member 17. Means are provided tending to prevent vibration of the adjusting arm 15 and for moving the insulating-bar 16 and parts connected therewith somewhat nearer to or further from the plate 8, said means consisting of a nut 25 which may be rotated on the threaded end-portion of the adjusting-arm 15, said nut being provided with a flange f engaging the inner side of a collar 26 which is secured to the plate 8.

Numerals 27 and 28 indicate bars having comparatively unequal expansion, the expansion of the bar 27 being greater than the expansion of the bar 28. These normally \parallel bars, while identified separately may be considered, as a "bimetallic bar or integral structure, their innersides beingin constant engagement, their lower ends being mounted stationary with the cylindrical receptacle 11, in the lower end ofthe latter,

a cylindrical block 29, in the present in-; stance, being shown for this purpose, the

upper end of the bar 28 normally being dis posed adjacent to the lower end of the pivotally mounted rod 18 and provided with a contact-pin 30 preferably projecting outwardly of its 0 posed sides.

Operation 0 the device depends, primarily, in adjusting the bar 16 by use of the nut 25, so that the short arm of the elec trical conductor-rod 18 will be disposed a suitable distance from the pin 30. Pin 30 is made of insulating material.

Numerals 31 and 32 indicate electrical conductors for therespective posts 21 and 2:2, and as described they form parts of a normally closed electrical circuit, and it will be seen that the device may be used to advantage in maintaining a uniform degree of temperature. For instance, it ma be desired to maintain a certain high egree of temperature of water in a container (not shown), a part of the means for producing the heat for that purpose being an electrical circuit in which the electrical conductors 31 and 32 form a part. It will be understood that if the receptacle 11 is immersed in the water thus heated, the bar 27 of greater expansion will cause such a degree of inclination for the bar 28 that the pin 30 will be pressed against the lower end of the electrical conductor 18, the result being that the electrical circuit will be broken and will remain broken until the temperature of the water has been reduced in degree.

As soon as the temperature of the water has been reduced in degree, however, the bars 27 and 28 will move slightly from their inclined position, the pin 30 being disengaged from the rod 18, and by operation of the spring 20 the electrical circuit will again become complete and heating of the water will continue, and therefore, during operation, engagements and disengagemeuts of the pin 30 and rod 18 will frequently occur, the result being that the temperature of the water will remain practically uniform. While Water has been mentioned specifically, the device, of course, may be employed for maintaining temperatures of air or fluids generally.

If is is desired to use the device in connection with a cooling system where a certain low temperature is to be maintained, the receptacle 11 may be moved circularly a half circle for its mounting on the flange of the casing, after the keepers 12 have been removed; and in operation, as soon as the desired degree of low temperature has been reached, the opposite end of the pin 30 to that last described, will be moved into engagement with the rod 18, the electrical circuit thereupon being broken, and further cooling will cease. As the temperature rises again the bimetallic bar willbend in the opposite direction, the pin 30 being disengaged from the rod 18, and by operation of the sprin 20 the electrical circuit will be complete to permit the operation of cooling to be resumed.

The advantages derived by use of the weight 'w is that it causes the wei ht of the short arm and ion arm of the ro or lever 18 to be equal. he advantage in the use of a difference in 1e h for the arms of member 18, is that a slight movement of the short arm will cause a rapid movement of the head d for its engagementor disengagement with the head e. It will be noted that no stresses will be directed to the bimetallic bar, at any time except when the device is in operation, as it does not form a part of an electrical circuit.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bimetallic electric thermo-regulator, comprising, in combination with a casing and a communicating receptacle, an adjusting-arm mounted upon and extending within the casing, an insulating-bar mounted on the adjusting-arm, an electrical contact-post on said bar, a second electrical contact-post on said bar, an electrical conducting-rod pivotally mounted between its ends on the first named post and normally engaging the second post to form a part of an electrical circuit, the parts of said rod outwardly of its pivotal mountin being approximately of equal weight, a bimetallic bar in the receptacle normally disengaged from said rod and adapted, when subjected to a change in temperature to be moved into engagement with said rod to cause disengagement of the latter from the second electrical contactpost, said arm being adjustable longitudinally for maintaining the electrical conducting-rod at selected distances from the bimetallic bar.

2. A bimetallic electric thermo-regulator, comprising, in combination with a casing and a communicating receptacle, a supporting-bar slidingly mounted in the walls of the casing and having an adjusting-arm parallel therewith and adjacent thereto provided with a threaded part projecting outwardly of-the casing, an insulating-bar disposed at right-angles to and carried by the adjusting-arm, an electrical contact-post on the insulating-bar, a second electrical contact-post on said insulatin -bar, an electrical conducting-rod pivotaly mounted between its ends on the first named post and providing a long arm normally engaging the second post and providing a short arm a proximately equal in weight to the weig t of the long arm, a bimetallic bar in the receptacle normally disengaged from said rod and adapted when subjected to a change in temperature to move into engagement with the short arm for causing disenga ment of the long arm of said rod from t e second electrical contact-post, and a nut rotatable on the threaded partof said adjusting-arm for disposin the electrical conducting-rod at selected distances from the bimetallic bar.

3. In a bimetallic electric thermo-regulator, the combination with a casing, of an adjusting-arm mounted non-revolubly in and having a threaded part extending outwardly of the casing, an insulating-bar disposed at right-angles to said arm and stationary therewith, an electrical contact-post on the bar, a second electrical contact-post on said bar, an electrical conducting-rod move into engagement with the short arm for causing disengagement of the lon arm of said rod from the second electrica contact-post, a collar mounted on the casing and traversed by the threaded part of the adjusting-arm, and a nut having a flange engaging said collar and revoluble for mov- 15 ing said adj usting-arm.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST HENRY RUEDIGER. Witnesses:

BERTHA R. BURTON, N m'rm W. GAULKE. 

